


The Beginning

by lanikaia



Category: Big Hero 6 (2014)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Best Friends, Dating, F/M, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Kissing, Light Angst, Love, movie ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-26
Updated: 2016-03-28
Packaged: 2018-05-29 07:49:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 19,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6365458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lanikaia/pseuds/lanikaia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He turned to look at you over his shoulder with a smile. </p><p>"Ready (First)? Hold on tight."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Meeting

The clock on the wall behind you ticks away the time but you don't seem to notice. Bent over the table, you pour over the plans Professor Callaghan left out for you to analyze, your hands tracing the crisp lines of the design on the paper. Soft music plays from your phone as you concentrate, making the late night lab a relaxing atmosphere. 

You had been asked to go over some of the other students designs by Professor Callaghan as a preliminary safety inspection before they actually built them and to make sure the University had enough supplies in stock for everyone. The designs laid before you were amazing; each time you unrolled a new one your breath would catch in your throat with awe at the creativity and sheer genius but you're favorite part of each design was the personal touch. 

You could always tell whose it was before seeing the name from the individuality in each design. Honey's happy attitude and love for chemicals in her new chemical formulas, Go Go's need for speed in her new electromagnetic bike design, Wasabi's love for organization in his laser-induced plasma screen, and even Fred's hand written note asking once again for a shrink ray/pizza gun. Every design was unique and held a little bit of the creator in it. 

You hummed along as your favorite song came on, smiling at the work before you. You were so engrossed you almost didn't hear the door to the lab click open... almost. 

The faint click took a moment to register, but once you realized what the sound must have been you turned and found yourself face to face with a guy. Startled you gave a small gasp and took a step back, bumping into the table and knocking several rolled up blue prints to the ground. 

The stranger wore jeans and a sweatshirt, had a baseball hat covering most of his dark hair and carried a helmet under his arm. He seemed to be about your age, probably a student at the university as well, and appeared to be as surprised to see you as you were to see him. 

Neither of you spoke for a moment, just staring at each other, until you realize it was after hours in the lab and everyone had left. 

"Are you supposed to be here?" you both spoke in unison, causing you to laugh. 

"I'm assisting Professor Callaghan with some design analysis work. Are you the other student helping out by any chance? Professor Callaghan didn't say you would be starting tonight." You stared at him inquisitively. 

"Yeah, sorry I startled you," he said, reaching a hand to you. "I'm Tadashi Hamada."

"(First) (Last). Pleasure to meet you!" You smiled and shook his outstretched hand. He beamed and the two of you stood there for an awkwardly long time shaking hands. Staring at his gentle smile you flushed as you realized how attractive he was. Suddenly feeling awkward you released his hand and began fumbling for the blueprints you had knocked over. 

He crouched next to you and began picking up the ones that had rolled away. Placing the papers on the table you composed yourself before turning back to him. 

"Thanks for helping with that. Do you want me to make some space on the table? Or I could set up another desk for you. Or you could do it in your own room if you want. Unless you don't have a room. But you're definitely welcome to work here if you need. Wherever you want is fine!" You bit your lip once you realized you were rambling and blushed again. 

"I was actually going to pick up the projects and do them tomorrow since it's rather late." Tadashi rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. 

Looking at the clock you saw the time. How did it get so late?!? You sighed mentally. Sometimes you were just too excited about the projects you had to look over. 

"Sorry, I didn't realize what time it was," you admitted. "I should probably head back too. Here let me grab your files for you."

You hurriedly gathered the pile Callaghan had assigned for Tadashi to do before quickly gathering your own. 

You and Tadashi walked out of the building together in comfortable silence and stopped at his scooter. 

"Oh wow! That's so cool!" Tadashi beamed at you again. You were beginning to love his smiles. 

"Thanks! It's a great ride, very reliable. It was great to meet you (First)."

"Same to you Tadashi. Let me know if you need any help with starting your inspections." 

"Thanks, I most definitely will take you up on that offer." He glanced around before turning back to you. "Do you have your bike here?"

"No, I just walk home." You shuffled your feet while he stared at you as if you had two heads. 

"You can't walk home alone at this time of night! I can give you a ride."

"No, really, I'll be fine! I live pretty close anyways, and it's good exercise. Plus I wouldn't want to be a burden..." Your voice trailed off, but you could see the stubbornness in his face as he crossed his arms. 

"What kind of friends would I be if I let you walk home alone? Plus it's no burden at all. Hop on!" 

You flushed with happiness when he called himself your friend, and then mentally smacked yourself to keep it together. 

"Thanks Tadashi." 

"Don't mention it!"

You held your designs tightly as you stepped onto the back of the scooter. He plunked an extra helmet on your head before turning forward. You wrapped your arms around him as if it were the most natural thing in the world, feeling his warmth through his sweatshirt, and smiled. 

He turned to look at you over his shoulder with a smile. 

"Ready (First)? Hold on tight."


	2. The Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your face heated up as it suddenly dawned on you. 
> 
> You were in love with Tadashi Hamada. 
> 
> And there was no going back.

The delicious scent of hot coffee woke you. Opening your eyes lazily you stretched and yawned, a smile still on your face from last night.

_The ride was too short. You wished you didn’t live so close to the campus so you could have stayed that way for just another five minutes, arms wrapped around his torso, laughing into the wind and talking about anything he could think of as you rode along. You learned he had a brother, they lived with his Aunt Cass and she owned a café._

_“Best pastries in town,” he boasted cheerfully as his scooter zipped in and out of traffic. “You’ve got to try them sometime!”_

_“I will! I love pastries!” you called over the sounds of cars and the wind._

_You enjoyed the way you could feel his voice rumbling in his chest as you held on, how you could tell how excited he was about attending San Fransokyo Institute of Technology and how much he cared about his family._

_When he pulled up to your building you hopped off with a huge smile._

_“Thanks so much! That was really fun, I’ve never ridden a scooter before.”_

_“Anytime.” He beamed again._

_You took off the helmet and tried to calm your hopelessly windswept hair. You must have looked pretty funny with your wild hair and pink cheeks because he walked up to you laughing and tried to move some of your hair off your face too. The light touch of his fingers on your face made you blush._

_“Thanks.”_

_“Sure thing,” he took the helmet and hesitated. “Hey do you think I could have your number. You know, in case I get confused. And so we can meet up at some point, maybe do some work together?”_

_Your heart skipped a beat. Could what you were hearing be true? He wanted your number? For work, like he said, but it was a start!_

_“Of course!” You had your phone out in the blink of an eye._

_After exchanging numbers you said your final good byes and parted ways for the night._

_Once safely out of sight in your room you let out a squeal and did a little happy dance around your room before collapsing into bed. You were so excited you almost forgot to take your medicine. Almost._

 

You smiled again at the thought of seeing him, and then realized you were smiling and giggling foolishly and scolded yourself. 

‘You only just met him! He only just met you! Don’t be silly!’

But even your inner voice couldn’t wipe the smile away today. 

As you got out of bed and started pulling yourself together for the day you heard your phone ding. With your toothbrush still dangling from your mouth you clicked to view it, and found a message from Tadashi. He wanted to know if you wanted to grab breakfast at his aunt’s café and start some work. 

“And maybe I already have a few questions.” He added sheepishly. “But either way Aunt Cass made some pastries, which I know are your favorite so you should come. Okay, well hopefully see you soon!”

Before even finishing the message you typed a response and got ready in overdrive. You grabbed your things and were sprinting out the door when your roommate Mildred made an appearance. 

“Hey Mil! Coffee’s in the pot, extra waffles are in the freezer, see you later!”

Mildred squinted one sleepy eye at you.

“Woah crazy, slow down. Where are you going?”

“Just to meet a friend.”

She gave you a slow once over. 

“Some friend. I’ll have to meet him some day.” 

You flushed and rushed out the door.

“Shut up, bye!”

 

_______

 

"Another donut (First)? Or maybe a croissant? Or I could get you some tea!"

"Thanks Ms. Hamada but I'm all full!"

"Well let me know! And call me Aunt Cass, everyone does!"

You gave her a genuine smile before turning back to your work. You and Tadashi had spread your work over one of the tables at the back of the cafe. It created a cozy corner for you to work together without being bothered by any of the other customers. Or Hiro. 

You had met Tadashi's genius younger brother earlier when he came barreling into the cafe from upstairs to find Tadashi. 

_"Tadashi, you've gotta see this!" Hiro crowed as he strutted up to the table. With a thunk he dropped what looked to be a pile of magnets on top of the designs._

_Glancing up Tadashi gave a small frown. "Careful Hiro. The other students worked really hard on these designs and I don't want to damage them."_

_"Sorry, I didn't realize your nerd school homework was so delicate."_

_Tadashi rolled his eyes and smiled. "What were you going to show me?"_

_"This!" Hiro held up what you could now see was not a pile of magnets. Your eyes lit up as you realized what it was._

_"It's a bot driven by electromagnetism." You exhaled with wonder. It was brilliant, as good if not better than the designs laid before you. You couldn't pull your eyes away._

_"Yeah, exactly. Who are you?" Hiro looked as if he just realized you were there._

_"Oh sorry (First), I didn't introduce you. Hiro this is (First). She goes to school with me. (First) this is my genius of a little brother Hiro." Tadashi reached out a hand and ruffled Hiro's already unkempt hair, which Hiro swatted away._

_"That's an amazing bot Hiro! Are they teaching you robotics in school?"_

_Hiro grinned cockily. "I'm not in school. Graduated already. Genius, remember?"_

_You laughed at his attitude as Tadashi covered his eyes with a hand. "Sorry, I'm not a genius so you'll have to give me a minute to catch up."_

_"Don’t be so hard on yourself, you still seem pretty smart. I mean, you figured out what my bot was pretty fast. And you go to nerd school, so that counts for something."_

_You laughed again. "Thanks Hiro. And I was serious, that bot is amazing."_

_"Wait 'til I get it in the ring. It will be unstoppable." Hiro's words suddenly caught Tadashi's attention again._

_"In the ring? You don't mean bot fighting, do you? Hiro! You know that's illegal." Tadashi sounded exasperated, like they had this conversation a million times before._

_"It's only illegal when you bet on it." Hiro said defensively._

_"And you always go for the betting!" Tadashi ran a hand over his face with a sigh. "We'll talk about this later. (First) and I have work to get done."_

_"It was great to meet you Hiro."_

_"Nice meeting you too (First)." As Tadashi turned back to his work Hiro leaned in and whispered in your ear. "You should come to a bot fight sometime and see the bot in action. Just don't tell Tadashi."_

_You gave him a conspiratorial wink that Tadashi caught before Hiro scurried off, fighting bot in hand._

_"What was that about?"_

_"Nothing. I think I just became friends with your little brother." You said with a smile._

_Tadashi gave you a questioning glance before smiling back. "Well let's move past Hiro's little distraction and keep working."_

 

You stretched your arms above your head with a satisfied sigh. The massive piles of designs stacked around the table seemed to be shifting from the 'to do' pile to the 'approved' pile, slowly but surely. 

"Hey Tadashi, how about we finish a few more and then call it a day since we got so much done."

Tadashi looked up and stretched his own arms. "Sounds like a plan to me." 

As you both reached for a new design to work on your fingers collided. Tadashi's warm hand accidentally grabbed yours as they hovered over the pile. You glanced up, making awkward eye contact with Tadashi across the table. You felt your cheeks heat up and noticed a bit of pink on his face as well. When he realized he was still holding your fingers instead of a sheet he quickly let go and retracted his hand. You gave a giggle as he blushed and readjusted his baseball hat. 

"Sorry."

"No worries. You're hands are really warm." Now it was your turn to blush. Why did I say that? 

He smiled at your comment. "Thanks."

As he approved his final design of the day Tadashi sat back and admired the amount of work he had finished.

"We should make this a tradition!" 

You looked up from your final design to find him staring at you. He gave you one of his heart-stopping smiles you couldn't resist.

You grinned back at him. "Definitely. I feel so productive, and it's definitely more fun than working alone." 

And just like that mornings at Lucky Cat Café became as much a part of your life as attending SFIT. You became close with Aunt Cass, sometimes having tea and stress-eating donuts together when you both needed a break. And you always loved seeing Hiro as well. His teenager attitude may have been frustrating for Tadashi at times but you had great patience with him, and he was usually really well behaved around you (for which Tadashi was really grateful). 

The whole gang from school even came sometimes. Gogo would quietly sip her tea while Honey Lemon chatted up Aunt Cass. Wasabi would be straightening your piles of work while Fred chomped on donuts and explained his next big idea to you. 

But you definitely became closest with Tadashi. Working together was so fun, and you always had time to talk and get to know each other more. You discussed everything from Hiro (a lot of Hiro actually) to books and movies to the designs you would have to submit soon. Since you were checking other students' you both got an extension for the submission deadline, but that was fast approaching regardless of the extension. 

As you neared the deadline for completing your design analyses you realized how much you enjoyed these mornings, and how much you didn't want them to end. You lived for Aunt Cass's smile as you walked in the door, the delicious smells that danced throughout the cafe and sometimes even clung to your clothes after you had left; you lived for Hiro's sassy interruptions, the happy atmosphere of the Lucky Cat Café, and Tadashi's gentle smile. What would you do without them?

Your face must have given away your thoughts because when Tadashi glanced up at you he noticed something was off. 

"Hey (First), what’s wrong?" He asked quietly, a note of concern creeping into his voice.

"Hmmm?" You murmured. As you looked up your eyes met his brown ones, and you blush when you realize his gaze is trained on you. 

"You're frowning. You're making the face that means you're thinking about something you don't like thinking about."

His observation startled you. "What? How can you tell?"

Tadashi smiled. "I can always tell what you are thinking. You're not very good at hiding it from your face. It's easy enough to figure out if I just look."

You were amazed he paid enough attention to you (and your face) to know that. "I was just realizing how close we are to being done with all these designs. It made me a little sad since we won't have our morning work sessions once we are done." You tried to give a shrug as if to say no big deal but you still felt a small lump in your throat. Saying the words out loud made the end seem much more real. 

He looked surprised, like the idea of no more morning work hadn't crossed his mind. "Why not? We can still have work sessions! Just with different work, like our own designs to work on. So don't worry!"

He smiled again before looking down to finish his work. You watched him for a while, his hand gliding across the paper, the slight shadow on his face from his baseball hat, the smile that stays just hidden in the corners of his mouth. 

The pit of your stomach felt warm from his reassurance and his smiles. They always seemed to warm you. Why? 

Your face heated up as it suddenly dawned on you. 

You were in love with Tadashi Hamada. 

And there was no going back.


	3. The Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Suddenly you remember what had woken you. A voice, and a gentle hand on your hair. Your 'pillow' took a breath, the strong heartbeats still thrumming in your ear and you felt another hand resting gently on your shoulder.

"Alright! Movie night! Make some room for the Fred-meister!" Fred catapulted himself over the back of Honey's couch, spraying popcorn in his wake.  
  
"Fred you're making a mess! Popcorn stays in the bowl or in your mouth!" Wasabi twitched at the mess Fred made as he wiggled in between Wasabi and Honey on the couch.   
  
All of your close friends from SFIT were gathered for a movie night to take a break after all the hard work so far in the semester and preparing for the work to come.   
  
"Sorry man. Hey, next time let's go to my place!"  
  
Go-go rolled her eyes from the armchair she had commandeered for herself. "Pretty sure Honey's apartment is nicer than under a bridge."  
  
Fred just smiled, not realizing her implication. "That is very true Go-go. Honey, your house is much nicer than under a bridge."  
  
"Thanks Fred." Honey giggled.   
  
Tadashi walked into the living room with the other bowl of popcorn for the movie night. "Alright, I think we are stocked up on popcorn. Are we ready for the movie?"  
  
"Wait, (First) isn't here yet!" But right on cue there was a gentle knock at the door. Honey jumped off the couch, dumping the bits of Fred's popcorn from her lap onto the floor and ran to the door. "(First)! I'm so glad you could make it!"  
  
"Wouldn't miss it for the world Honey." You said with a smile as you stepped inside. "Hi guys! Congrats on all your designs being approved!"  
  
"We couldn't have done it without you and Tadashi working so hard to check all the designs! You guys deserve a congrats too!" Wasabi called from his spot on the couch. You and Tadashi exchanged smiles, causing your heart to flutter and butterflies to fill your stomach.   
  
Honey Lemon squealed. "I'm so happy everyone is here! This movie night is going to be the best! Let's take a picture!"   
  
Everyone gathered around the couch for a group selfie on Honey's phone. As everyone squeezed to get in frame you realized how lucky you were to have all these amazing people surrounding you and how much each one of them meant to you. As the camera clicked you had the most brilliant smile on your face, your true happiness shining through. Honey double-checked that the picture included everyone, and then gave another squeal. "Alright, movie time!"  
  
Go-go settled back in her armchair, with Fred, Wasabi and Honey squeezing in on the couch. You decided to sit on the floor with your back on Honey's legs but right as you were about to sit Honey pointed to the corner of the room.   
  
"(First) you can drag the beanbag chair over here so you don't have to sit on the floor. It's big enough that you and Tadashi can fit!"  
  
"Thanks Honey." You grabbed the yellow floral beanbag and dragged it in front of the TV. You plopped down and wiggled to one side to make room for Tadashi. You smiled brightly at him as he plopped down next to you. The beanbag was big enough for you each to have enough space but just small enough that your shoulders leaned on each other.   
  
_A whole movie sitting right beside him! Calm down (First). Deep breaths. He's just your friend. Your really attractive, really smart, super nice friend..._  
  
Shaking your head you stare at the screen straight ahead as the movie night begins, a silly sci-fi movie marathon. The cheesy and hilarious sci-fi flicks were perfect for your friend group (although Fred spent a large portion of the night requesting various gadgets from the movies--including a time-traveling car-- only to be told 'it's not science'). You laughed along with your friends and snuggled just a _little_ closer to Tadashi and prepared for a great night.   
  
***  
  
You woke up when someone whispered your name. A warm hand was stroking your hair in a soothing rhythm. You opened your eyes sleepily, and realized you were still at Honey's apartment. _I must have fallen asleep during the movie_ , you thought to yourself as you watched the ending credits roll across the screen.   
  
You could hear your heart beat in your ears, but the pulse was different on each side. Your left ear could hear a strong beat, full of life and health, pounding away to a steady rhythm. Your right ear could hear the beat you were used to: a delicate pulse that strained to follow a rhythm. _The beanbag has it's own heartbeat?_ Your sleepy mind tried to make sense of what was happening.   
  
Suddenly you remember what had woken you. A voice, and a gentle hand on your hair. Your 'pillow' took a breath, the strong heartbeats still thrumming in your ear and you felt another hand resting gently on your shoulder.   
  
Tadashi.   
  
You had fallen asleep and somehow ended up on Tadashi's chest.   
  
A blush raced across your face as you understood what was going on. _Pull yourself together. If you freak out you'll just make it awkward and even more embarrassing._ Your inner voice scolded you until you managed to calm down.   
  
You sat up slowly, sad to feel Tadashi's hand fall away from your shoulder and to lose the sound of his heart beating in your ear, and rubbed your eyes. Everyone else was stretching and yawning after the movies, apparently as tired as you were. Tadashi smiled as he sat up next you, and you smiled back nervously.   
  
"Sorry I fell asleep on you. I didn't realize I was that tired." You murmured sheepishly.   
  
"It's fine (First). It was kind of relaxing." You could have sworn you saw him blush but it was too dark to tell for sure. "Come on, it's late so I'll take you home." He stood and pulled you upright. You couldn't tell if the slight dizziness you felt was from standing up too fast or from being so close to Tadashi. _Is this what swooning feels like?_  
  
After you cleaned up Honey's living room a bit everyone said their goodbyes and headed home. As you gave Honey a goodbye hug she whispered in your ear.   
  
"Don't worry, I snapped a picture. You look really cute when you sleep! And you guys would make an even cuter couple."   
  
You blushed again and Honey giggled as you parted ways, following Tadashi to his scooter.   
  
****  
  
"I forgot how much I love your scooter." You smiled sleepily as Tadashi helped you hop off. "Feels a little bit like flying."  
  
Tadashi chuckled. "I'm glad you like it (First). Why don't I walk you upstairs? You still seem pretty sleepy."  
  
"Sure, you can see my apartment! Sorry if it's messy, I'm not sure I cleaned it up."  
  
"I share a room with Hiro, I'm sure I can handle a little mess in your room." He teased, bumping you with his shoulder. You gave him a little bump back before heading up the stairs to your apartment, your feet dragging with exhaustion. Tadashi chuckled quietly at your sluggish movements before walking up next to you.   
  
"Here (First), lean on me."  
  
To tired to even protest or act embarrassed you just nodded, grateful for the extra support. "Thanks, I really must have overdone myself today. I don't think I've ever been this tired before." Your voice was quiet in the echoing stairwell.   
  
In front of your door you fumbled with your key for a moment before finally being able to fit it in the lock. As the door swung open it revealed your roommate Mildred sitting by the small kitchen table with a tea mug that no longer steamed. One look at you being supported by Tadashi and the exhaustion on your face and Mildred was at your side in a flash.    
  
"(First) where have you been?!?! What happened? Are you alright? Did you get hurt? I've been waiting up for you!" Mildred anxiously scanned you for injuries before grabbing a wrist and checking your pulse. While she monitored your heartbeat her other hand checked your forehead for fever.   
  
You tried to swat her hands away from you. "Mildred, I'm fine. Honestly. I was just hanging out with some friends."  
  
After checking you Mildred apparently came to the conclusion that you were actually fine because she grabbed your shoulders and shook you lightly as she scolded you. "You had me so worried! I thought something had happened. You didn't tell me you were going to be out late. Why didn't you text me? I almost called the police. I almost called the president! I almost DIED!"   
  
You rolled your eyes but smiled despite yourself at her dramatic claims. "Mildred I'm fine, I just fell asleep. I'm sorry for scaring you. And for future reference I don't think you can just call the president."  
  
Sniffing, Mildred haughtily turned away from you. "(First) (Last) you don't know what amazing talents I have. For all you know the president's number could be stored on my phone."  
  
If Mildred could sass you back it meant she wasn't truly mad, which was a relief.   
  
"I will never doubt you again, o wise roommate of mine." You said, bowing slightly to Mildred before you both began to giggle, indicating all was forgiven.   
  
Meanwhile Tadashi was watching this exchange with a puzzled look on his face, completely forgotten until Mildred noticed him. She gave him a slow once over, taking in his tall figure.   
  
"Soooooo you must be (First)'s new friend."  
  
"Oh my bad. Tadashi this is my roommate Mildred. Mildred, meet Tadashi. He goes to SFIT with me."  
  
"I can see why you forgot about me, (First)." Mildred fake-whispered, giving you a wink.   
  
You rolled your eyes and hoped you weren't blushing. "Mildred you're a goof. Thanks for seeing me safely home Tadashi. Have a good night, I'll see you at lab tomorrow." You smiled and waved goodbye before turning to find your bed.   
  
"Don't forget to take your medicine. I can only handle so many heart attacks in a day!" Mildred called out to you. You waved a hand lazily at her as you walk sleepily away, deciding whether pajamas were even worth the effort, and didn't notice that Tadashi hadn't actually left. Instead he stood in the doorway staring after your retreating form still looking puzzled. Mildred seemed to sense his questions and waited for him to ask.   
  
"Is she sick?" He said quietly after a moment. Mildred observed the confusion and concern that were on his face before responding.   
  
"She didn't tell you." It was a statement, not a question, but Tadashi shook his head anyways. He stared at the spot he had last seen you before you disappeared and Mildred gave him a moment to gather himself, using the time to study his face. By the time he turned to look at her she had seen enough of how he felt for you that she felt he could know the truth.   
  
"She has valvular heart disease. The valves of her heart don't work properly, they're too weak." Tadashi's face showed shock and a little fear (for your sake), but as Mildred watched it never showed disgust or regret.   
  
"Why didn't she say anything?" His voice was quiet; Mildred could hear the hurt in it.  
  
"It's a hard thing to talk about, and (First) doesn't like to let it define her. She wants people to see past her disease and see her but sometimes they can't so she prefers to keep it to herself. Maybe she's just waiting for the right time to tell you, or maybe she wasn't ever going to tell you. That's up to her. She didn't keep it from you because she doesn't care. I told you because I can tell you care about her, and I need someone to be able to look out for her when I'm not around. But I'm also trusting you to treat (First) normally, to not let this change anything, and to wait for her to tell you in her own time. Can you do that for me?"   
  
Mildred's eyes bore into Tadashi's, all traces of her sassy and joking side from earlier gone, replaced with a seriousness that gave her words extra weight.   
  
"Yes, I can do that. For you, and for (First)."  
  
"Good." Mildred nodded, looking satisfied. "Thank you for taking care of her tonight. Please have a safe trip home."


	4. The Admission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "But I also wanted you to hear it from me."

After a good night's sleep you were enjoying the warm sun as you sat outside the lab building for a break. Your lab was piled with notes and doodles of possible designs for your project and you needed an escape. You closed your eyes as you laid back on the grass and took a deep breath. The blades of grass tickled your neck as they moved with the breeze and the dull red of your closed eyelids in the sun was soothing.   
  
"Still tired (First)?" A teasing voice appeared next to you. You squinted and covered the sun with your hand to look up and see Tadashi standing over you.   
  
"Hey Tadashi! Just taking a break from trying to figure out what to do for my project. Want to join me?"   
  
"Definitely. I was just about to take a break from that craziness myself." He smiled and sat down in the grass next to you. "It's a great spot you found here."  
  
"I know. Hardly anyone ever comes by and it's so peaceful. I love taking breaks out here."  
  
A few minutes passed in peaceful silence between the two of you, just the sound of your breathing and the ambience of the campus in the distance. You knew this was the perfect opportunity to tell him about your heart (even though he kind of already knew) so you took another minute of peace before you gathered your courage to tell him.   
  
"I-I... I wanted to say thanks again for last night." You chickened out at the last second.   
  
"It was not a problem at all (First)." Tadashi turned to smile at you but you took a deep breath and dove ahead.   
  
"I also wanted to clarify a few things from last night." He opened his mouth to come clean about what Mildred had told him but you silenced him with a hand. "Please, let me finish." He nodded and waited respectfully for you to continue. After another deep breath you were ready.   
  
"I know Mildred told you about my heart condition, and don't worry I'm not mad. I'm actually a little relieved. I don't know if I would have been able to tell you if she hadn't already told you." You picked at the grass next to you before tossing it aside. "But I also wanted you to hear it from me."   
  
You shifted how you were sitting so you were facing him, and Tadashi gave you his full attention.   
  
"I have valvular heart disease, which means the valves of my heart are weaker than normal people's. There is no cure for it, although my medicine helps with most of the symptoms I might experience. My heart is too weak for surgery to fix it and I'm on a very long waiting list for a heart transplant although my doctor says I can live without one.   
  
I live with Mildred by the medical school instead of with other SFIT students because she is going to be a healthcare professional. She has enough medical training to take care of any minor problems I might have and she knows what to do in case of an emergency. I also love her to pieces and she is amazing. Crazy too, as I'm sure you figured out last night."   
  
You added the last bit as an afterthought, but it earned a chuckle from Tadashi and broke some of the tension.   
  
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier it's just..."  
  
One last steadying breath before you took the plunge.   
  
"I really really like you and I didn't want to scare you away but it's not fair that I didn't tell you because then you didn't know when you became my friend I mean I hope we are friends because I think of you as one of my best friends and I am totally fine just being friends even though I like you but maybe now you think I'm crazy or weird or you shouldn't be around me but don't worry it's not contagious bec----"  
  
Your rambling came to a sudden end as Tadashi cut you off with a quick kiss. His warm lips covered yours for a moment, and your unprepared eyes stayed open in shock even as he pulled away.   
  
"I really like you too and nothing is going to change that. Not a disease, not a slightly-crazy-but-still-wonderful roommate. Nothing."   
  
His warm brown eyes were all you could see, your mind still reeling. As it slowly sunk in that  _Tadashi_ had just _kissed you_ your face broke into a huge smile and you launched yourself at him. Hugging him tightly you felt all your worries float away from you.   
  
"Thank you Tadashi. Thank you for everything."  
  
He patted your back gently. "Anything for you (First). Now let's go finish our designs. Work session at the café?"  
  
"You read my mind."


	5. The Design

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You’re amazing, (First). You know that right?” His voice was so gentle you could have imagined it if you hadn’t seen his mouth move. 
> 
> You spluttered and flapped your hands, hoping if you did it enough the words would dissipate in the air around you and save you from the tidal wave of emotions they brought.

You brushed some donut crumbs off your notebook and sighed to yourself, thoughts racing. Your design was due in a week and you hadn’t finished ironing out the details even though you spent all your spare time working on it. Glancing up you watched Tadashi scribbling ideas into his own notebook across the café’s table, his face fixed in a look of extreme concentration.   
  
Watching him work was irresistible. It was almost magical how his hand would fly across the page and suddenly his thoughts were translated into ink markings. He wouldn’t let you see anything until he finished, saying none of his ideas were good enough yet but a sneak peak in his notebook while he was grabbing your drinks told you otherwise. His creativity was amazing and you couldn’t wait to see what he would come up with.   
  
Realizing you were staring you quickly glanced down at own design. _Ok, so maybe I haven’t spent_ all _my time focused on my project,_ you admitted to yourself. You had spent every afternoon working in the café with Tadashi and being around him was a bit distracting. Your heart raced and not even an endless amount of Aunt Cass’s delicious donuts could smother the butterflies having a fiesta in your stomach.     
  
After revealing your disease to Tadashi you had come to work at the café as well, and you had hoped to clarify exactly what the kiss you had shared meant. Unfortunately you weren’t able to talk with him at the café because the entire crew had showed up mere moments after you had sat down.   
  
You loved all your friends and loved spending time with them at the café but your favorite was always when you and Tadashi worked alone. He always seemed a bit more open with you then. Since that first interrupted conversation neither of you had brought it up and it was slowly driving you crazy that you didn’t know where you stood.   
  
_Maybe he regrets it? Or maybe it meant nothing to him. It could have been a pity kiss. He could have just felt bad; I mean I was kind of freaking out. Maybe that’s just normal for him with friends. I could ask Hiro; maybe it’s a family thing. I mean some people are super expressive and kissing friends wouldn’t be weird, right? Oh god, maybe he didn’t like it, or I did something wrong and now he wants to pretend it never happened. O.k. I can pretend it never happened._  
  
You dared another glance in his direction.   
  
_Oh god I can’t forget! It was the best thing that ever happened to me. What am I gonna do?!?_  
  
You sighed again, catching Tadashi’s attention. Noticing your unblinking stare at your notebook he broke the silence.   
  
“Hey (First), are you alright?”  
  
You shook away your thoughts and smiled. “Yes, just thinking about some of the details. I feel like I’m almost there.” The care and concern on his face made your heart clench.   
  
“We could take a break if you wanted?”   
  
“I think I need a few more minutes to just finish up. I’m almost done, really. No need to worry.”  
  
He gave you a half-hearted nod and scrutinized you a bit more before turning back to his work. With a deep breath you turned back to your own work with fresh determination to focus and finish your design.   
  
***  
  
“Finished!” You rocked back in your chair and stretched your arms. A huge smile stretched across your face. Your preliminary design proposal was complete and ready to be turned in. You weren’t sure anything had felt this good. Well one thing maybe…   
  
“That’s great, I’m just about done here as well!” Tadashi grinned at you. “Want to share? I’m dying to hear your idea.”  
  
“Me too!”  
  
“Ladies first.” You laughed and gave a fake curtsy to his chivalrous words.   
  
“Mine’s a fairly simple concept. I wanted to tackle reactive attachment disorder, or RAD. It’s a disorder that affects children; people with it can’t form healthy relationships because as an infant or young child their basic needs for a nurturing environment were not met. It’s pretty common in understaffed orphanages, especially in poorer areas. Essentially my design would be a bot that could act as a caregiver for a short amount of time to help infants feel the love and affection they need.”  
  
You got lost in your work as you described your plans to make the bot essentially a cradle that could mimic being held by a real human, complete with warmth, a heartbeat, and the smell of a caregiver to allow the child to connect with the caregiver when they don’t have enough time to dedicate a lot of time to the single child. It wouldn’t replace human contact but it was better than leaving an infant alone for hours in a cold cradle, completely ignored.   
  
“Sorry, I’m rambling.” You blushed as you came back to reality where Tadashi was staring at you slightly open-mouthed.   
  
“Not at all. I love hearing you talk about it, you’re so passionate.” His voice almost sounded like awe, and coupled with the fact he used the word love you decided your face could probably help Aunt Cass bake some pastries it was so flushed.  
  
“Do you mind if I ask why you chose this?”  
  
You blinked, surprised by his question. “Umm, well I was adopted as a baby, and actually Mildred was too. Luckily we grew up in loving households and didn’t suffer this but we’ve talked about it before. I guess Mildred was studying it in class and it just got us thinking how lucky we were."  
  
You shrugged. “I hadn’t even really thought about why. It kind of seemed like the natural thing to do. I just wanted to make sure other kids had the same opportunities that I did. I shouldn’t get it better just because I was lucky. I guess this is my way of giving back.”  
  
Tadashi’s brown eyes were so intently focused on your face you shifted in your seat. You were pretty surprised you had shared that detail of your life so easily with him. It wasn’t a painful memory but you didn’t usually tell people. Then again, being around Tadashi seemed to make you want to spill all your secrets to him.   
  
“You’re amazing, (First). You know that right?” His voice was so gentle you could have imagined it if you hadn’t seen his mouth move.   
  
You spluttered and flapped your hands, hoping if you did it enough the words would dissipate in the air around you and save you from the tidal wave of emotions they brought.   
  
“Pshh not at all, anyways it’s your turn!”  
  
“My idea has similar applications too.” He said with a small smile. “A lot of times emergency rooms and medical offices are flooded with people who need assistance or fairly quick and simple medical care but the sheer number of them makes it very difficult to provide efficient care. Imagine if you could solve this by having a personal healthcare assistant, available at a moment’s notice, to handle the more minor issues or provide a quick diagnosis on site.”  
  
You sat in awe as Tadashi described more of his project. You could see exactly what he was laying out before you: a miracle. Your eyes never left his, and he didn’t look away as he unveiled his true genius to you. When he finished you sat in absolute silence, letting his words sink in, barely daring to breath.   
  
Tadashi spoke first. “So… what do you think?”  
  
You opened and closed your mouth but no sound left. Your heart was thudding against your ribcage and your hands gripped the table as if to hold yourself together. With another deep breath you blurted the first thing on your mind.   
  
“It’s like a portable Mildred!”   
  
The tension on Tadashi’s face disappeared as he gave a genuine laugh at your outburst.   
  
“Yeah, it kind of is.”   
  
“Do you mind if I ask why you chose this?” You copied his exact words from earlier, your voice no louder than a whisper. You desperately wanted to hear his reason but you were secretly terrified of the answer.   
  
_Don’t jump to conclusions (First). And dear god, please don’t have a heart attack, that would be so NOT smooth._  
  
His eyes were still locked onto yours as he smiled at your question. You weren’t sure you had ever made this much eye contact with someone but it wasn’t uncomfortable, instead it was almost comforting.   
  
“I really should have told you this sooner but things got in the way and I guess I just lost my nerve after that first day.” He readjusted his hat nervously before continuing.   
  
“I really like you (First). I know I already told you that but I mean it. You’re really important to me and I can’t imagine my life without you. I know we didn’t talk about that kiss and it’s probably really late to try and bring it up but I don’t want it to be forgotten. It meant something to me, and I really hope it meant something to you.”  
  
He finally glanced away rubbing his neck awkwardly as he re-gathered some of his fraying nerve.   
  
“I guess this proposal was like my confession to you. I wanted to make something that could help you live your life to the fullest, and hopefully many other people too. And maybe it would even help me keep you by my side."  
  
Your eyes locked again and you could feel the biggest, goofiest grin of your life splitting your face.   
  
“So what do you say? Will you go out with me? I'll take on a real date. No donuts, no goofy friends to interrupt, just us.”   
  
Unable to contain yourself anymore you threw yourself out of your chair and leapt at Tadashi to give him a huge hug.   
  
“No one has ever done anything even half as amazing for me as your idea.” You soaked in his steady warmth as he held you back, not caring if other café customers noticed the commotion you were causing in the corner. “That kiss definitely meant something to me too. I would be honored to go on a date with you Tadashi.”  
  
You leaned back from hugging him, realizing you had ended up basically sitting on his lap, your hands still resting on his shoulders while his rested on you waist. Your faces mirrored each other with overflowing happiness as he rested his forehead against yours.   
  
“Well then, may I kiss you again?” Tadashi murmured as he leaned forward, his breath ghosting across your lips. You smiled as you leaned in to meet him.   
  
**“Absolutely."**  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
“GROSS! Get a room!” Hiro yelled as he fled back to his room, fighting bot in hand.


	6. The Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And that was how you ended up in this chaos, speeding uncontrollably across the SFIT lawn on Tadashi’s scooter, holding on for dear life as he sprinted after you.

You were not entirely sure how your night had evolved from a wonderful date into chaos, but you honestly weren’t very surprised. 

 

******

 

The evening had started calmly, with you meeting Tadashi at the Lucky Cat Café before heading off to dinner. Tadashi had come downstairs to find you deep in a conversation about bot-fighitng with Hiro while Aunt Cass flittered around, nearly out of her mind with excitement.

You didn’t notice Tadashi for a moment, listening intently to Hiro explain a strategy; he was content to watch you, your chin propped up on your hand and your eye alight with interest. When you finally realized he was there you smiled sheepishly and apologized for being a little early. You just hadn’t been able to wait until the agreed upon time. 

Tadashi smiled and looked at the clock, reading a full 15 minutes before you were supposed to meet, realizing he was ready extra early too.

“I guess we’re both a little excited.” You blushed, a warm feeling spreading in your chest. “Shall we go?” 

You nodded and gathered your stuff, ruffling Hiro’s hair as you said goodbye. Aunt Cass got in a few excited hugs and pinched cheeks and promises to not be out too late, and Hiro made gagging noises as you and Tadashi held hands, and then suddenly you were off; your date with Tadashi had begun. 

You had been alone with Tadashi before, but somehow this time was different. You felt awkward at the start, both sitting silently at the table and poring over the menu with excessive amounts of attention. Neither of you were sure where to start, or how to make the first move. 

“Why don’t we order for each other?” His voice broke the silence first.

“What do you mean?”

“Like I’ll order something for you to eat and you order something for me to eat.” You blinked a couple times to let that settle in. 

“But I don’t know what you like.” 

“And I don’t really know what you like. This can be like trial and error learning.” He smiled and you felt your heart thump. When you didn’t respond his smile faltered. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to.” 

“No, no I think it’s a great idea! I was just deciding if you’re in a pasta mood.” You smiled as he chuckled. 

“I don’t even know what a pasta mood is.” 

You grinned. “Then I guess we’ll find out.” 

Once the initial tension was broken conversation became comfortable again. After all it was Tadashi, one of your best friends, sitting across from you, not some stranger. You almost felt more open with him now, talking about personal matters for most of the time rather than classes or projects. At some point the conversation turned to his scooter.

As you gushed about how amazing it was Tadashi suddenly cut you off. 

“Do you want to learn?”

“What?” You were startled by his sudden offer.

“Do you want to learn how to drive the scooter? I could teach you.”

“Yes, that would be so amazing. Would you really?”

His face softened at your excitement as your eyes met. Holding your gaze he nodded. “Of course. Anything for you." 

 

*****

 

You were nearly giddy with excitement as you sat on the leather seat. Tadashi kept one hand on the handlebar and the other on your waist as he steadied you. 

“Alright, you’re going to turn the key and activate the fuel.”

“Ok!” 

“Great, then hit that button to start the engine.”

The scooter rumbled to life beneath you and you couldn’t stop the excited squeak that left your mouth. Tadashi was grinning now too. 

“Now to go you’re going to kick the stand up, and then give it some gas. Be gentle your first time. The breaks are here on the handle bars. Stopping usually works best if you ease into it.” 

You nodded, glancing at everything as he spoke. 

“Are you ready?”

“Yes!”

“You’re sure you want to ride alone the first time?”

“Sure, how hard can it be?"

"Not that hard, but its got power so be careful.” He carefully pulled his hands back, the gentle pressure on your hip suddenly gone. 

“Pshhh, it’s just a scooter.” You joked as you revved the engine. “How fast can it really go?"

You reached out for the throttle. “Well I made some modifications to it so it’s a bit more advanced than a regul-“ But the roar of the engine drowned out his words and off you shot. 

And that was how you ended up in this chaos, speeding uncontrollably across the SFIT lawn on Tadashi’s scooter, holding on for dear life as he sprinted after you. 

In your momentary panic you froze, causing you to stay gripping the accelerator and speeding ever faster. SFIT seemed to blur around you, exhilarating and terrifying. You blood seemed to rush through your whole body; it felt rejuvenating. 

Tadashi’s yells suddenly grabbed your attention as he tried to shout instructions at you. Coming to your senses you released the gas and eased into a stop as he had told you. Once at a full stop you put down the kickstand, putting your feet on solid ground again. 

Tadashi caught up extremely out of breath. He immediately checked you for any injuries. Finding you totally fine and laughing he rested his hands on his knees to catch his breath. 

“Maybe next time I’ll sit on the scooter with you. At least until you actually get the hang of it.” He panted. 

“Next time? You mean you’ll let me do it again?” Your eyes sparkled at the thought of another (although safer) thrill.

“Of course. I promised you I would teach you how to drive it. And you certainly haven’t mastered it yet.” With a grin you threw your arms around him. 

“You’re the best!”

He blushed at how pretty you looked, windswept with eyes glowing and flushed cheeks. “Anything for you.” He whispered to himself. 

 

*****

 

Once Tadashi decided you had mastered the art of driving the scooter enough for one night you both collapsed onto the grass. 

“That was way more exhausting than I thought it would be.”

“Yeah, well it also wasn’t supposed to have such a crazy start.” Tadashi chuckled from next to you in the grass. 

You both relaxed in silence for a moment, staring at the few stars that dared to peek out of the night sky as if to steal a glance at you two. After a moment Tadashi’s hand found yours, his warm fingers wrapped around your smaller ones. You absentmindedly rubbed your thumb across his hand. His grip was strong yet gentle, and warm against the cool blades of grass. 

“Thanks for this evening. I really enjoyed it.” Your voice was quiet but your words were earnest. The evening had been amazing; Tadashi was amazing. 

He squeezed your hand in response, the affectionate gesture making your heart thump against your ribs. You wondered if he could hear it from where he lay. 

“Thank you for agreeing to come, I enjoyed it as well.” You turned your head to watch his profile as he spoke. “I always enjoy spending time with you (First).” You wished the night was a little darker or the grass a little higher to hide your blush as he turned to face you. 

The two of you watched each other’s face, gathering each little detail from the curve of your nose to the line of his brow. The grass framing your face tickled your cheek as it moved with his breaths. 

You weren’t sure which one of you leaned in first, but you knew when your lips touched everything was perfect.


	7. The Brainstorm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Come on Tadashi, let's go save the world one robot at a time."

The door to Tadashi's lab clicked quietly as you opened it, trying to make the least amount of noise possible. You quickly spotted him bent over what appeared to be a carbon fiber skeleton, his notes strewn about his desk next to him in organized chaos. He was so focused he didn't hear you enter, remaining fixated on the task at hand.  
  
Not wishing to disturb his work you shut the door quietly and leaned against it silently. You watched his hands working diligently, his fingers seeming to know exactly how to hold and adjust and combine each piece. His face was focused but also relaxed, like he was right where he belonged among his tools and his thoughts. It had a profoundly calming effect on you, though you were realizing more and more that just his presence was often enough to calm you. You couldn't believe how lucky you were that he was in your life.   
  
Now lost in your own thoughts you let out a sigh. At the familiar sound Tadashi suddenly realized he wasn't alone and looked up to find you watching him.   
  
"Hey (First), whats wrong?"  
  
You shook yourself out of your thoughts and smiled at him.   
  
"Nothing really, I've just hit a wall with my work so I came to visit." You shrugged, then smiled back at him as you walked up to his desk. "I blame my numb face for the reason my brain isn’t working today."  
  
“Is that so?" His eyebrow quirked up at your teasing tone, causing your smile to widen further.   
  
"Yes, I can’t believe it still tingles from last night! What was in that hot sauce?" Your mouth felt a burning sensation just at the memory of the hot wings Aunt Cass had served at dinner the night before.   
  
“Just essence of fire."   
  
"Ha ha very funny." You stuck your tongue out at him as he chuckled. "Why would you even eat something that painfully delicious?"    
  
"It’s Hiro’s favorite so we eat it a lot. You’ll get used to it soon, don’t worry."   
  
"As in I’m invited back for dinner with the family?" Your surprise at his open invitation showed on your face. His smile softened as he reached a hand up to brush your check.   
  
"Of course. Stop acting so surprised that you’re a part of my life now, and that means a part of my family and our tradition of painfully delicious dinners." You leaned into the hand still resting on your check and smiled at him until your lips met in a soft kiss. His hand on your check moved slowly to the back of your head, his fingers weaving lightly into your hair with enough pressure to make you take a step towards him. As his other hand went to rest gently on your waist your arms reached up around his shoulders, relishing the warmth of his lips on yours.   
  
After a moment he broke the kiss and rested his forehead on yours. You smiled, enjoying the moment until he spoke again, his tone teasing.   
  
"Although once I tell Aunt Cass you blame her for your brainstorming troubles I may have to take back the invitation."   
  
You jerked your head back from him to give him your best glare. "Tadashi Hamada, you wouldn’t dare!"  
  
He just laughed at your fake angry face until you cracked a smile as well. You let out another sigh and leaned your head back onto his shoulder, tucking yourself comfortably under his chin. His arms wrapped around you almost as a reflex, yours still wrapped around him from the kiss you shared.    
  
"Sorry for interrupting your work. I just thought a change of scenery might do some good."   
  
"Its not a problem. I could use a break myself. Maybe we can brainstorm together?"   
  
"I would love to. Want to take a walk?"   
  
"Sounds perfect."  
  
  
*****  
  
  
The weather on the SFIT campus was perfect for your brainstorming walk, and as you and Tadashi strolled you could almost feel the gears of your mind beginning to turn again, the sunlight warming them up again. You discussed problems that had arisen during each of your projects, offering problem-solving help to each other since two heads are definitely better than one.   
  
  
“So if you incorporate multi-direction diffusion sheeting along with the standard fuse gauge for extra safety you shouldn’t have to worry about the bot overheating, and the warmth should be distributed evenly.”   
  
You thought about this for a moment, Tadashi’s eyes on you as you mulled over his suggestion.   
  
“And with that I could even make the temperature adjustable, and limited to a certain range!”  
  
“Exactly!” His smiled as you clapped your hands with excitement.   
  
“Tadashi Hamada, you are a genius!” You said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "I've been struggling with that for days! But anyways its your turn; have any ideas you need to bounce around?"  
  
"I've got a couple actually. For activation I was thinking a key word or phrase, one that isn't common so it doesn't activate randomly but you can still activate it hands free."  
  
You stared into the distance as you thought about this, your thumb absentmindedly rubbing circles on the back of his hand as you walked hand in hand. He smiled at the motion.   
  
"That sounds reasonable but my concern would be in cases of emergency. What if they didn't remember to say the word or they can't speak and the people nearby don't know the word?"   
  
Tadashi hummed at the thought, thinking it over.   
  
"It may be a bit extreme since it's not really for big emergencies, but it's just a thought." You hedged.   
  
"No it's a good idea. So maybe it should have a key word for intentional starts and also have an emergency setting."   
  
"Maybe a cry for help?"  
  
"I think it should be more generic to include other things too."   
  
"True, a small injury might not cause a cry for help but would still benefit from medical attention."  
  
"So maybe sounds of distress in general."   
  
You smiled. "That could definitely work, Tadashi. But what are you planning about its appearance? You don't want it terrifying people when it suddenly activates."  
  
"I was thinking polyester vinyl, inflatable, to give it a non threatening appearance." He glanced your way to see your reaction.  
  
"Non threatening? It'll be positively adorable!" You grinned, trying to picture it.   
  
"I hope so." Tadashi laughed at his own mental image before turning back to you. "Feeling better now?"  
  
"Most definitely! Are you ready to head back and get some more work done?"  
  
"Ready if you are."  
  
With a squeeze of his hand you smiled and turned to walk back to your labs, pulling him gently behind you, your hand fitting perfectly into his.   
  
"Come on Tadashi, let's go save the world one robot at a time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sometimes I'm too cheesy even for myself


	8. The Bad Boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You have a collect call from San Fransokyo Police Station. To accept the charges dial 3, to decline the charges dial 9. This call may be recorded at any time. Incoming call from: Tadashi Hamada. ”

The sound of your phone ringing interrupted your movie and had Mildred groaning at you.   
  
“(First), they were just about to kiss!” She humphed as she paused the rom-com. You gave her your most angelic smile as you plunked the popcorn bowl in her lap to grab it.   
  
“Sorry Mil, I’m sure it will be quick.”  
  
“Yeah, yeah, just hurry up. I need to hear what cheesy one-liner he uses to get the girl this time.”  
  
The number was unknown but local. With a shrug you answered and were greeted by an operator.   
  
_“You have a collect call from San Fransokyo Police Station. To accept the charges dial 3, to decline the charges dial 9. This call may be recorded at any time. Incoming call from:_ Tadashi Hamada. ”   
  
You were startled when Tadashi’s voice spoke in your ear. He sounded tired and not at all amused. And he was in jail? You quickly pressed 3 and the line clicked over.   
  
“Tadashi?”  
  
“Hey (First). Sorry about this.”  
  
“Oh my gosh what happened? Are you ok?”  
  
“I’m fine, don’t worry. It’s nothing serious.”  
  
“Hiro was bot fighting, wasn’t he?”  
  
“Yeah, and the police found us right as I was driving him away.”   
  
You rubbed your temples. “I knew it. Oh man, good thing I told you about the fight, imagine if he was alone! But he’s going to be so mad at me…"  
  
“No he’s not, if anything he’ll be grateful I showed up when I did.”  
  
“Wait why? Are you sure you’re all right?”  
  
“Yes I’m sure, I’ll tell you the whole story later.”  
  
“Alright.” You paused as another thought dawned on you. "What are you going to tell Aunt Cass when you call?”  
  
There was silence for a moment. “Tadashi Hamada, were you going to hide this from her?!?”  
  
“No. Well, yes but only for a little bit. Tonight’s beat poetry night and you know how stressed she gets about the smallest things so I didn’t want to worry her.” He paused for a moment before adding on in a mumble, “Plus I only get to make one call until the morning.”  
  
The implication that you were his first choice to call made you blush a little bit, and then laugh. “So now I’m your official partner in crime? Alright, let me ask Mildred if I can borrow the truck. Don’t hang up.”  
  
You tuned to find Mildred watching your conversation with interest, obviously trying to figure out what happened from only half the conversation.   
  
“Do you think I can borrow the truck to head down to the police station to pick up Tadashi and Hiro?”  
  
“So you like bad boys now?” Her eyebrow arched as she studied you rolling your eyes. You could hear Tadashi laugh at her comment through the phone. “Let me check you’re vitals. If they haven’t picked up you’re not leaving.”  
  
You really hoped Tadashi hadn’t heard that, you didn’t want him to worry needlessly, but from the sudden silence from the phone you weren’t sure.   
  
“Mil, it’s just a car-ride. I’ll be fine, don’t baby me.”   
  
Mildred ignored you as she checked your pulse, blood pressure, and other vitals. She worked quickly, and you moved almost instinctually to accommodate her poking and prodding, knowing exactly what she was going to do. This was a typical occurrence so you both knew what to do pretty much without thinking.   
  
You had been feeling tired and a little dizzy earlier, and when Mildred checked you after dinner she was not pleased with your vitals and ordered a quiet movie night in and an extra dose of medicine.  
  
“If I wanted to baby you I would have made you lay in bed with your feet elevated listening to classical music and spoon-fed you.” She grumbled. “You haven’t improved so you’re not leaving.”  
  
You opened your mouth to argue but she cut you off. “Seriously (First) don’t argue because I’m not changing my mind. And before you ask, no I will not go without you because I am not leaving you here alone. No ifs, ands, or buts.”  
  
Your shoulders sagged, but even your best pout couldn’t get Mildred to change her mind. You put the phone back against your ear.   
  
“I’m really sor—“  
  
“(First) don’t worry about it. It’s no big deal, it’s more important that you stay healthy than anything.”  
  
“You heard?”  
  
“Yes, now it’s my turn. Are _you_ alright?” You smiled weakly at the concern in his voice, obvious even through the phone.   
  
“I’m fine, but I’m locked in my tower for the evening.”  
  
He chuckled at that. “Feel better, and I’ll tell you all about this mess tomorrow. I’m sure it will be funny by then.” He sighed. “I hate to delegate this job to you but could you call Aunt Cass? And apologize for us profusely?”  
  
“Of course.”   
  
“Thanks (First), now go get some rest.”  
  
“Night Tadashi, talk to you tomorrow.” And a moment later the phone clicked, indicating he was gone. You cradled your phone in your lap, staring bleakly at it. Tadashi needed help and there was nothing you could do but ask someone else to help him. You felt useless. Noticing your bleak mood Mildred snuggled closer.   
  
“I know you’re irritated with me, but it’s for your own good. If I honestly thought you would be fine to go pick him up I would have taken you.”  
  
“I know,” you sighed. “I really appreciate it Mil. And I’m not irritated with you, more with myself and my stupid condition.”  
  
She patted your knee. “Well at least we have that cheesy one-liner to look forward to, huh?”  
  
You smiled at her efforts to cheer you. “Yes, but first I need to make a few calls.”  
  
  
  
——  
  
  
  
The movie had just ended when your phone buzzed with a message from Tadashi in your group chat. You opened it quickly and read through the messages that popped up as responses.  
  
 _  
Tadashi: Hey guys! I know it’s late but just wanted to check if people were still at lab.  
  
Gogo: Yup.  
  
Wasabi: Still here!  
  
Honey Lemon: We are all still here! It’s so fun to work when everyone’s around <3 Are you coming over Tadashi?  
  
Tadashi: I’m going to drop by the lab to grab something and show Hiro around.   
  
Fred: Don’t worry man, we’ll still be here.  
  
Honey Lemon: I can’t wait to meet him!  
  
Gogo: Fred, why are you in this chat?_  
  
  
You laughed before quickly typing a response.   
_  
  
(First): I’m home, but good luck with work you guys. Tell Hiro hi!_  
  
  
You then typed a quick response to Tadashi alone.   
  
_  
(First): Are you going to draw Hiro away from the path to becoming a delinquent using the lab?  
  
Tadashi: How did you know?  
  
(First): You could say I’m pretty smart  
  
Tadashi: And pretty _  
  
  
You grinned at his flirtatious text.   
  
  
_(First): You’re the sweetest :* Sorry I can’t be there, but I can do one better. Want me to email Callaghan and see if he can walk by? I have some papers in my lab he needs anyways._  
  
Tadashi: Brilliant!    
  
(First): I’ll ask, no promises though. Talk to you tomorrow! <3  
  
Tadashi: Night <3  
  
   
You quickly typed out a brief email to Professor Callaghan letting him know that his papers are in your lab, apologizing for not being able to drop them off before you had to leave, and letting him know to ask Tadashi if he couldn’t find them. When he responded with a brief thanks you grinned. You couldn’t wait until you heard what happened tomorrow.


	9. The Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Later sounds good," you murmured against his lips.

After extra meds and a good night sleep (and Mildred’s clearance) you found yourself seated at the Lucky Cat Café as Tadashi recounted the previous night’s events.   
  
“I still can’t believe you used a garbage pile as a ramp to jump the scooter.” You grinned, trying to picture it all.   
  
“I still can’t believe it worked.” Tadashi grinned back. "I was almost certain Hiro was going to go flying off the back."  
  
"Speak of the devil." You chuckled to Tadashi as a mop of black hair tried to sneak around the counter to grab donuts without being caught. You watched his progress for a moment, allowing him to think he was sneaky enough to avoid you before you called out to him in a voice loud and clear.    
  
“Hiro Hamada, what were you thinking?" Hiro froze at the sound of your scolding, and turned slowly in place to face you as you continued. "You had us all worried; Tadashi, Aunt Cass, even Mildred! Do you have anything to say for yourself?"  
  
“Sorry (First).” He did his best impression of an angelic child but you were having none of it.  
  
“Don’t apologize to me, I wasn’t the one who went to jail with you, or picked you up from it. I don’t want an apology I want you to promise you’ll stay safe." His face dropped at your scolding, and deciding he looked sufficiently trite for his mistakes you leaned towards him and lowered your voice to a conspiratorial whisper.  "And if you’re set on bot fighting at least don’t make the same mistakes.”  
  
“Huh?” Hiro was confused at the sudden turn in the conversation, your scolding replaced by a impish twinkle in your eye.   
  
“Your first mistake was giving them your real name.”   
  
Tadashi coughed from his seat next to you, and you hid your grin to keep up the serious business charade.   
  
“Fine, your first mistake was illegal betting on bot fighting. Your second mistake was telling them your real name."  
  
Hiro grinned as you reached out and ruffled his hair. Tadashi just rolled his eyes at the two of you.  
  
“(First) you're not helping.”  
   
"Well at least he told me before he went so I could tell you this time. And if he’s going to become a delinquent we need to make sure he’s safe while doing it."  
  
Suddenly Hiro realized what you had said. “You turned me in! Aw man (First), I thought you were on my side.” He groaned.  
  
You turned away from your boyfriend to give Hiro a stern look, all signs of joking off your face. “Are you saying you didn't need him? That if someone hadn't shown up you would have been fine and dandy?"   
  
Hiro looked sheepishly at the floor.   
  
“Exactly.” Your tone suddenly became gentler. "We all care about you very much Hiro, and we don't want to see you get hurt. There's so much you could be doing, but if you choose bot fighting we’re at least going to keep you safe.”  
  
You ruffled his hair again to show all was forgiven and he lifted his eyes from the floor to smile at you.   
   
"Hey Hiro, don't you have something to tell her since we’re on the topic of what you’re doing with your life.” Tadashi prodded his brother, eyebrows raised.   
  
“Oh yeah, I'm applying to SFIT.”   
  
"Oh Hiro that's wonderful!” You gave him a crushing hug which he only slightly resisted. “You’re going to love it!”  
  
“But first I need to get in.”   
  
“He’s going to do the student showcase, and he's already come up with an idea.” Tadashi filled you in.   
  
“You’ll do great Hiro! Let me know if you need any help!”  
  
"Thanks (First), I will!" He shoved a donut in his mouth as he headed out of the cafe, calling back to you through his mouthful. "Got to go get started!"  
  
"Don't make too much of a mess in the garage!" Tadashi called out the door after Hiro, shaking his head with a fond smile. You loved to see the way he looked at his brother, his love and care for Hiro written so clearly across his face. When Tadashi turned back to you he found you watching him with a small smile on your face. "What?"  
  
"Nothing." You shrugged innocently. "What are our plans for the afternoon? A day on the town? A fun scooter ride?" You rested your chin on your hand and batted your eyes in your best imitation of beguiling.   
  
"Nice try (First), but it will be a relaxing day for us. I was thinking a movie since we'll have the room to ourselves for the rest of the day."   
  
"Sounds delightful. Shall we head up?"   
  
Tadashi couldn't help but chuckle as the mischievous tone of your voice. "You head up, I need to check one thing with Aunt Cass."   
  
"Don't take too long." You called over your shoulder as he started for his bedroom.   
  
As soon as you were up the stairs Tadashi grabbed Aunt Cass from behind the counter for a quick word.  
  
"How much does Hiro owe you for last night's bail? He's already promised to pay you back."  
  
Aunt Cass looked confused. "What do you mean? I didn't have to pay bail."  
  
"You didn't pay our bail?"  
  
"No, I just had to pick you up. I assumed you paid it. Who else could have?"  
  
As realization dawned on Tadashi he smiled and shook his head, staring up the stairs where you had just disappeared. "I have a pretty good idea."

 

*******

 

Tadashi found you standing in his room, back to the door, already contemplating a few choices for movies. He could see the small furrow between your brows, indicating you were focused on the decision. With a smile he slipped quietly over to you, wrapping his arms around your waist and pressing gentle kisses along your shoulder and neck. You hummed in approval at his affection, leaning backwards into his touch and tilting your neck for him without taking your eyes off the movies you were debating.   
  
"I never properly thanked you for last night." He murmured against your skin. "Thank you for calling Aunt Cass for me, and for paying bail."  
  
Another hum slipped past your lips as your eyes closed, enjoying the sensation of his kisses. "If this is how I get thanked I certainly don't mind." His breathy chuckle on your neck made your heart melt. And then with a start you realized what he said. "How did you know about the bail?"  
  
"Aunt Cass told me someone had already paid it, and I'm not attractive enough that random people would want to bail me and Hiro out from the goodness in their hearts." You could feel his smile.   
  
It was your turn to chuckle quietly. "I think you underestimate your level of attractiveness."  
  
In an instant Tadashi had spun you to face, his eyes filled with so much love for you it was startling. "Seriously (First), thank you. You really didn't have to do that."  
  
You wrapped your arms around him and gave him a tight hug, burying your face in his neck. "I wanted to." You breathed in, smelling the cafe scent still clinging to his shirt along with the distinct smell of his skin. "I felt useless not being able to pick you up so I figured I would help as much as I could." You snuggled your face as close to him as possible, the sudden urge to tear up taking you by surprise. "My stupid disease just makes me so pathetic sometimes."  
  
"(First)." The tone of Tadashi's voice was strained but you kept your face hidden against him. "(First), look at me, please." You hesitantly pulled your face away from him and lifted your eyes. One of his hands left your waist to cup your check, not letting you escape his eye contact.   
  
"You are never useless or pathetic, you hear me (First)? Never. I don't ever want to hear you call yourself that. You are amazing." He pressed a gentle kiss to your lips before pulling away to look at you again.  
  
"You are intelligent." _Kiss_. "Kind." _Kiss_. "Considerate." _Kiss_. "Beautiful." _Kiss_. "Clever." _Kiss_.  
  
Each kiss became longer and longer as he became more reluctant to break away but he continued listing all the wonderful qualities he saw in you until you didn't think you could hear any more and slipped your arms around his neck, pulling him closer to you with no chance to escape. Not that he wanted to.   
  
His words swirled around your head, pushing back at the dark clouds you had brought down. You weren't useless, you were amazing. If anyone else had tried to convince you that you were all those things you would have smiled politely and brushed them off, but in his arms you _felt_ beautiful and smart and confident. He helped you see how amazing you were; you weren't beautiful _because_ he said so, he helped you see your own beauty, inside and out, through his eyes, which made it easier to open your own eyes to see it as well.   
  
You kissed him with a fierce passion you hadn't expressed before. All of your kisses up to this point had been sweet and loving, giving to each other. But right now you were both taking, wanting and needing more from the other.   
  
Tadashi slowly walked backwards, his arms keeping you pulled close to his chest and moving with him, until the back of his thighs hit his bed. He sat down with as much grace as he could muster and pulled you down to sit on his lap. Your lips never left each other's.  
  
"Do you still want to watch that movie?" You panted in between kisses.  
  
He barely pulled back from your lips to whisper a distracted "Later" against them before returning to kiss you hungrily.  
  
"Later sounds good," you murmured against his lips.   
  
You could feel the steady thumping of his heart in his chest, the beating in sync with the beating of yours. Your heart didn't even stutter, but beat strong to the rhythm. You slid a hand onto his chest as if to check his heartbeat was real. With gentle pressure you pushed against his chest and leaned slightly back. Tadashi stopped immediately, face flushed and eyes slightly unfocused but filled with concern. You smiled so he knew he didn't do anything wrong and took one of his hands in your own. You placed his hand over your heart while you held yours over his, and leaned your forehead onto his.   
  
"I know it may not be much but I want you to know you have my heart, my whole heart Tadashi."   
   
His free hand caressed the back of your neck. "And you have mine, always and forever."  
  
And with that he pulled you back to him and your lips met his in a moment of pure harmony and bliss you never wanted to end. The movie could wait for later.   
  
Much later.


	10. The Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Something is very wrong."

Fingers ghosted along the ridge of your jaw before fluttering lightly down your neck, making you shiver and snuggle your face further into Tadashi's neck.   
  
"Did I wake you?" His warm breath fanned across your ear as he whispered. You shook your head and hummed with contentment.   
  
"I wasn't sleeping, just enjoying the moment." You murmured.  
  
"With your eyes closed?" He teased lightly; you could hear the smile in his voice. You gave a sleepy giggle and leaned back to face him. His arm tightened every so slightly around your waist as if he worried you were going to actually get up. You smiled; he had nothing to worry about, you were more than content to lay in bed and cuddle with him forever.   
  
"This was our first movie night in a while where we didn't get... distracted."  You teased him back, enjoying the light blush that dusted his face as he remembered every other time the two of you had tried to watch a movie while cuddling in bed. "And you know movies make me sleepy."  
  
But Tadashi was already distracted by your previous movie nights, and leaned in to press soft kisses across your face. You smiled and leaned into his touch, but continued talking.   
  
"Plus we have had a busy few weeks with school and helping Hiro." You let out a soft sigh as Tadashi's lips traveled to a particularly sweet spot at the edge of your jaw before continuing slowly down your neck. But you were determined not to let him distract you again. "Is Hiro ready for tonight?"   
  
A quick "Mhmm" murmured against your throat was the best answer you could get from him since he was determined to distract you.   
  
"Is he nervous?" You tilted your head ever so slightly to open your neck to him. He chuckled and nipped your skin lightly.   
  
"(First), I don't want to talk about Hiro right now."   
  
"I know, but I also know if I let you continue you will not leave on time for the student exposition tonight." You ran a hand through his messy hat hair as he detached from your throat to smile at you.   
  
"You don't think I have enough self-control to leave you?"   
  
You leaned in to give him a lingering kiss. "No, I know I don't have enough self-control to let you leave." You teased back, pressing another quick kiss on the tip of his nose.   
  
"Well when you put it that way..." He laughed and sat up, pulling you up gently with him. "Alright, time to get ready to leave."  You stretched your arms overhead and arched your back to shake off the last remnants of sleep as Tadashi pressed a quick kiss to your cheek before you both climbed out of the bed and headed to the living room.   
  
Mildred looked up from her seat on the couch as you two walked in and smirked. "Evening love birds. That was a fairly quiet movie night for the two of you, huh?"   
  
You blushed and smacked her shoulder lightly as you passed her on your way to the door while Tadashi just laughed behind you.   
  
"Nice to see you too, Mil. Take good care of (First) for me, and try to not get into too much trouble."   
  
Mildred grinned. "No promises on the trouble."  
  
You rolled your eyes with a smile and opened the door. "Oh yeah, we're going to have a two-person rager the moment you leave. It's your turn to bail me out of jail anyways." That earned a chuckle from him, and you pressed a peck on his check as he stepped over the threshold. "Now go! I won't have Hiro mad at me because I beat him at game night last week _and_ because I made you late to the student show."  
  
Tadashi laughed again. "Alright, I'll keep you updated."  
  
"You better. See you after?"  
  
Now it was his turn to lean in and press a lingering kiss on your lips. "Of course. Love you."  
  
"Love you too." And with that he was off.   
  
You sighed happily as you leaned on the door frame and watched him walk away, still feeling his last kiss tingle on your lips as you smiled to yourself.   
  
Walking back to the couch you plopped down next to Mildred.   
  
"Netflix marathon?" She asked. You grinned in response.   
  
"You read my mind."  
  
You were only on your second episode when your phone buzzed with an update from Tadashi.   
  
_Tadashi:_ _Hiro's up, wish us luck!_  
  
The message had a group selfie attached, showing everyone's smiling faces right before Hiro went on stage.   
  
"Hey Mil, take a selfie with me for the group." You scooted over to her side and quickly snapped a cute selfie to send along with your message.   
  
_(First): Good luck!! (Not that he needs it!)_  
  
Tossing your phone back to the side of the couch you snuggled up with Mildred to wait for the results.   
  
  
\----   
  
  
After the fourth episode ended you stretched and yawned, shaking feeling back into your sleeping feet.   
  
"Let's take a quick break. I'm going to make some tea, want any?" You groaned a bit as you stood, not wanting to leave the comfortable warmth of the couch, but then shuffled over to the kitchen to boil some water.   
  
"Sure, thanks (First)."   
  
"Hey Mil, could you check my phone and see if Tadashi got back to me?" You called over your shoulder in the kitchen.   
  
"No new messages, sorry!" She called back.   
  
"Hmmm that's weird. I wonder what's taking them so long." You mused as you pulled out the tea bags and tea cups. "When Hiro practiced his presentation it wasn't _that_ long."   
  
The tea kettle screamed from the stove.   
  
"Maybe the decisions haven't come out yet?" Mildred offered as she flipped channels, settling on the evening news.   
  
"I don't remember them taking very long with the SFIT letter decisions either." You noticed your hand shook a little as you stirred the first cup of tea. "Must be more tired than I thought." You murmured to yourself, clinking the spoon against the rim and picking up the next tea cup. Sounds of sirens came from the TV as the reporters got breaking news of some disaster or another. You always hated the news, it made the world seem so bleak sometimes.   
  
"Maybe he's showing off." Mildred shrugged from her position on the couch as you turned to look out of the kitchen at her. You must have turned too fast because you felt a little dizzy all of the sudden, the edges of your vision swimming a bit. You tried to make your eyes focus on the TV, the fire and the building looking vaguely familiar, but everything seemed to be a bit blurry.   
  
"Mildred." Your voice was strained, an undercurrent of fear running through you.   
  
"What, the kid's a freaking genius, he deserves some time to show off."  
  
"Mildred!" You repeated, quieter but more desperate as you tried to focus your thoughts but everything felt a little fuzzy there too.   
  
"What?" She turned to look at you over the back of the couch and the color seemed to drain from her face.   
  
"Something is very wrong." You whisper, clutching the empty tea cup in your hand like it could save you somehow if you just held on tight enough. As your vision continued to swim you watched as Mildred vaulted over the back of the couch and ran towards you, almost in slow motion.   
  
You didn't feel your knees give way, or your hand let go. You couldn't really feel anything as you fell down towards the floor and the darkness.   
  
The last thing your heard was the announcement on the news and sound of the tea cup shattering around you. And it seemed like your world had shattered too.


	11. The End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Tadashi's gone..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ending follows the movie plot. The next chapter is an alternate ending so you can pick one, or read both!

_San Fransokyo Institute of Technology students and staff are in mourning following the deaths of two students and a faculty member. A major fire at the annual student exposition led to the deaths of student Tadashi Hamada and Professor Callaghan. Student (First) (Last) was admitted to the hospital the same night as the expo for unrelated heart complication, and unfortunately passed away later that evening. While students and faculty members alike are upset and saddened by these events, many have already said they will carry on and be strong in honor of the loved ones lost._   
  
  


##### (a few weeks later) 

  
"You're blood pressure is: elevated. You appear to be: distressed." Baymax's robotic voice seemed to grate on Hiro's already raw nerves as he worked to fix the scanner.   
  
"I'm fine." Hiro grumbled. "Here." Hiro replaced Baymax's helmet and straightened it. "Is it working?" He snapped.   
  
"My sensor is: operational." Baymax replied calmly.  
  
"Good. Then let's get - what?" Baymax's access port was stuck.   
  
"Are you going to remove my health care chip?"  
  
"Yes, now open!"  
  
"My purpose is to heal the sick and injured."  
  
"Baymax, open your access port." Hiro demanded.   
  
"Do you want me to terminate Professor Callaghan?"  
  
"Just open." Hiro ripped off the armour covering Baymax's chest.   
  
"Will terminating Professor Callaghan improve your emotional state?"  
  
"Yes.. no! I don't know! Just open your access!"  
  
"Is this what Tadashi wanted?"  
  
"It doesn't matter!"  
  
"Tadashi programmed me to aid in-"  
  
"TADASHI'S GONE!" Hiro roared, slamming his fists against Baymax's chest, the fight suddenly going out of him. "Tadashi's gone..."  
  
"Tadashi is here." Baymax stated.   
  
"No, he's not here."  
  
"Tadashi is here." Baymax insisted, and the screen on his chest flickered to life.   
  
 _"This is Tadashi Hamada and this is the first test of my robotics project."  
  
_ Tadashi's excited face shone back at Hiro as he moved to turn on the original Baymax. _"Hello, I am Baymax."_ A horrible screech filled the air, making the video feed flicker as Tadashi yelled and turned Baymax off. Video after video of Tadashi's tests with Baymax played across the screen, each one ending with a different problem.   
  
 _"Tadashi Hamada again, and this is the 33 test of my robotics project."_ Before he had even finished speaking a series of sparks exploded next to him and the power in his lab promptly died, leaving the screen black until Tadashi found a flashlight and clicked it on, checking Baymax with a sigh. _"I'm not giving up on you. You don't understand this yet but people need you. So let's get back to work."_ There was an off-screen bang and a series of muttered curses followed by a familiar call of _"Tadashi?"  
  
_ Tadashi turned away from Baymax to search in the dark for the source of the voice. _"(First)! Are you ok?"  
  
"All good! I was coming to see if you were ready to leave and I bumped into the door since, you know, the lights went out. You wouldn't have anything to do with that, would you?" _(First)'s voice floated out of the screen, her teasing tone and Tadashi's responding grin so normal it felt like a hand gripped Hiro's heart and squeezed.   
  
 _"Maybe, but don't come in, I want it to be a surprise for you. Give me one sec and we can head home, I think I'm done for the night."_ And with that the video froze, switching to the next test.   
  
 _"This is Tadashi Hamada, and this is the, uh, 84th test. What do you say big guy?"  
_  
 _"Hello. I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion."  
  
"It works..." _Tadashi's incredulous whisper hung in the air for a moment, before the full meaning of what he said seemed to sink in. _"It works! Oh this is amazing, you work!!!"_ Tadashi smacked a kiss to the camera then danced around his lab. _"I knew it! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! Oh you work! I can't believ-- I can't believe it! Ok. Alright, big moment here."_ Tadashi took a step back from Baymax and spread his arms wide. _"Scan me."  
  
"Your neurotransmitter levels are: elevated. This indicates that you are: happy."  
  
"I am! I really am! Oh man wait til my brother sees you." _A tear escaped Hiro as he smiled back at Tadashi. _"You're going to help so many people buddy. So many."  
_  
 _“Knock Knock,”_ a voice called from off screen.  _“Sorry, I didn’t realize I was interrupting a romantic moment. I can leave you two alone if you like.”_  (First)'s voice joked as Tadashi grinned sheepishly towards the door.  
   
 _“Just got a little over excited. Come look!”_  
  
(First) walked on screen and stood next to Tadashi, leaning into his shoulder; his arm automatically wrapped around her waist. The touch was so natural, so effortless, the love between them so obvious that Hiro’s breath caught in his throat and fresh tears burned in his eyes. (First) didn’t look sick or weak, she looked radiant, her face shining with excitement and pride for Tadashi's achievement, and so much love when she raised her face to stare up at Tadashi.   
  
_“Alright Baymax, scan us.”  
_  
 _“Scan complete. Your neurotransmitter levels are: elevated. This indicates that you are: happy, and you are feeling: love.”_  
  
 _“Hmm, guess it really does work.”_  (First) murmured.   
  
Tadashi smiled and turned his face to meet her eyes. They both smiled, content to just stare into each others eyes for a moment. Then they leaned in, their timing in sync, for a sweet and soft kiss. For the first time Hiro doesn’t fake gag or turn away.   
  
He pressed his forehead to the screen, their image blurred by the tears in his eyes, and let their love wash over him. It didn't heal all the wounds he had--some of those would take time and some would always be tender--but it bandaged them tightly and it picked him up. It reminded him of when he could feel their love in person, for each other and for him, and although that thought hurt for a moment it was a good kind of hurt. The hurt that lets you know it was real, the hurt that reminds you that you are still capable of love, and that shows you loving was worth it.   
  
(First) and Tadashi separated, once again facing Baymax and the camera hand-in-hand, (First)’s head on Tadashi’s shoulder.  
  
 _“I can’t wait to show Hiro.”_ Tadashi gazed wonderingly at the camera still.   
  
_“He’s going to love it. He’ll be just as proud of you as I am, maybe even more.”_  
  
 _“We should go, it’s almost time for dinner and game night.”_ Tadashi said quietly. (First) nodded in agreement and, untangling herself from Tadashi, she walked towards the camera.   
  
She seemed to be looking at Hiro dead in the eye, the way she always would when scolding him for making her and Tadashi worry about him. She seemed like she could just step out of Baymax and into the room to give him a talking to that would leave him wanting to be positively angelic, just for her. He wished she would. Hiro wished she would tell him he needed to be more careful chasing the villains and not to worry her like that, her hands on her hips and her face all serious before smiling and giving him a big hug and telling him how glad she is he’s alright.   
  
But she won’t.   
  
She can’t.   
  
Instead he watched her (color) eyes crinkle at the edges as she smiled.   
  
_“I have big expectations for you.”_ She said quietly, and Hiro was no longer sure of who she was talking to, Baymax or him. _“You are going to help a lot of people. You could change the world, and all because of Tadashi.”_   
  
First glanced over her shoulder to where Tadashi stood. The look in Tadashi’s eyes as he watched her is enough to almost knock Hiro to the floor. The pure love between them made him breathless, and he couldn't catch his breath until (First) spoke again.   
  
_“We can't watch to see what you can do, wherever we go. You are very important to the both of us so do your best. You are amazing, and don’t forget it. We are satisfied with our care.”_ With a smile, she blew a kiss and the camera cut to black.


	12. The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You woke up to the faint beeping of the heart rate monitor next to your hospital bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ending doesn't follow the movie plot (the previous chapter is the alternate ending if you would prefer, or you can read both!)

You woke up to the faint beeping of the heart rate monitor next to your hospital bed. It took a couple of exhausted blinks to clear your vision enough to actually see anything. The curtains were drawn tight against the early morning light but a few golden rays snuck in anyways, allowing you to examine the room. You were in a typical hospital room, white and sterile, with tiny splashes of color and character to try and make the room more cheerful and homey than it was. Your bed was closer to the door, while another patient was in the bed by the windows, their top half blocked from view by a privacy screen, their family members hunched in chairs at the end of the bed. Overall the room had a sense of tense worry and sadness; no different than any other hospital room you had been in before.   
  
Mildred was asleep in the chair next to your bed, a blanket haphazardly thrown across her shoulders as if she hadn’t really intended to fall asleep there, gentle snores escaping her open mouth. Watching your roommate you suddenly recognized a warmth in your right hand as her hand holding yours tightly, afraid to let go. Even in your exhausted and confused state you smiled, before calling out in a whisper.  
  
“Mil?”   
  
She woke up instantly, leaning in to stare at you and make sure you really were awake before squeezing your hand so tightly it began to hurt.   
  
“Don't ever do that again!” Her eyes filled with tears, which was terrifying since you’d never seen her cry in all your years knowing her.   
  
“What happened?”  
  
“You don't remember?”  
  
“We were watching a movie... I wanted tea…” Your voice was uncertain as you struggled to remember. You looked around at the hospital room, drawing the only conclusion you could. “Did I have an attack?”  
  
“A really bad one, (First). I thought you were going to die.”  
  
“I’m so sorry Mil, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Mildred smiled at your apology for things beyond your control and gave your hand a reassuring squeeze. “Did we find out if Hiro got in?” As your brain suddenly grasped what had actually happened a worried look crossed your face. “Oh no, I have to call Tadashi, he'll be so worried!”  
  
Mildred looked pained at the mention of Tadashi's name. You paused and waited a moment in silence, waiting for Mil to break the tension. Instead she looked away from your pleading gaze.   
  
“Mil, stop making that face. What? What happened?” You coaxed, squeezing her hand and hoping your voice didn’t shake as you spoke.   
  
“The night you had your attack there was... a fire at the student expo.”  
  
You could feel the blood drain from your face as you squeezed Mildred's hand tighter. “No,” you whispered hoarsely. “Is everyone... Are they ok?”  
  
“Everyone got out in time except for Professor Callaghan.” You put a hand up to cover your mouth. “And Tadashi ran back into the building to try and save him.”   
  
For a moment you couldn’t hear anything but a buzzing in your ears as the world seemed to swim around you. “Tadashi…he…no, Mildred, he can’t…” you choked on the words.   
  
“He's alive (First).” Mildred rushed to reassure you. You promptly punched her in the shoulder.   
  
“Dammit Mil, that's the information you start with!” You half-shouted at her through tear-filled eyes. “How could you make me think…” a shuddering breath escaped you, the next words too horrible to even speak.   
  
“But he got hurt pretty badly.” She continued quietly, watching your face.    
  
“Is he ok now?”  
  
“He hasn't woken up yet.” Your heart seemed to stop.   
  
“What do you mean?”   
  
She pointed to the bed behind her, and you took a good look at the family members. You immediately picked out the shape of Aunt Cass and Hiro sleeping awkwardly in visitor chairs. Your gaze slipped to the outline of feet under the covers at the end of the hospital bed, Mildred’s words sinking in. Tadashi was lying, unconscious, in the bed next to you.   
   
“I figured you would both heal faster if you were near each other.” Mildred said quietly. She smiled at you and shrugged. “It's not real healthcare, but it just felt wrong separating you two, especially right now when you need each other so much.”   
You gave her a teary smile to show the appreciation you couldn't seem to find the words for.  
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
Your doctor came in about half an hour later.   
  
“Glad to see you’re awake, Miss (Last). I’m Doctor Penner, and I’ll be your physician for your stay here. Youcertainly gave us a scare when you came in but things seem to be turning around.” She smiled as she flipped through your chart.   
  
“Thank you for helping me, and please call me (First).”   
  
“Well (First) we have some good news for you.” Your hand tightened subconsciously around Mildred’s; she couldn’t be persuaded by anything to let your hand go. “We’ve found a possible match for a heart donor for you, and your recent attack moved you up on the waitlist. The transplant could be done within the next week.”  
  
You gasped quietly. You had never hoped a transplant could be in your future, you were always so far down the waitlist.   
  
“It's a dangerous procedure so you need to consider your options carefully and be sure you want to commit.” Doctor Penner continued. “Here are some forms and papers about the transplant to read and fill out before making a final decision. I’ll be back to check on you tomorrow.” And with a smile and a shuffling of papers she walked out.   
  
You and Mil sat in stunned silence for a moment, letting the truth settle. You could feel the fluttering beats of your heart in your chest, suddenly very aware of the feeling. _What would it be like to have a strong heart?_ You’d never let yourself ponder the question before, seeming an unlikely dream with your manageable condition and low position on the list. But now everything had changed. Your condition was less stable; you’d just had a life-threatening attack for crying out loud! But staring at the papers on the bed you recognized the dangers of the opportunity before you as well.   
  
Mildred broke the silence first. “(First), this is… You could be healed. You could be _healthy._ ” Her voice was quiet, like she couldn’t really believe it either. You couldn’t respond any more than stare at her, thoughts rushing through your head.   
  
An announcement called the end of visiting hours, forcing Mildred to stand and stretch, holding on to your hand until the last moment. She leaned in and gave you a big hug, holding you tight to her.   
  
“It’s a big decision (First), and you weren’t prepared for it.” Her voice was soothing as she held you and rubbed your back. “Take your time and think about it. Get some sleep tonight and I’ll be back first thing in the morning if you want to talk about it. Whatever your decision is, I will stand by you.”   
  
With a final squeeze she released you to go wake Hiro and Aunt Case. Both were very excited to see you awake and feeling better, but you couldn’t do more than smile at them through a daze. Mildred gave them some excuses about not feeling totally better or the medicine they put you on so they wouldn’t feel hurt before ushering them out.    
   
  
Once the nurse set you and Tadashi up for the night and left you slipped out of bed and padded quietly to Tadashi’s bedside. Your first look at him made your heart clench in pain; you could see large patches of his body swathed in bandages to protect his burns and other injuries from the explosion. A few tears slipped from your eyes as you tried to block the idea of what pain he must have been in. You wanted nothing more than to throw yourself into his bed, to hold him in your arms and wish this all was just a bad dream, but you didn’t want to cause him any extra pain so you settled for sitting in the chair next to his bed, laying your head down to stare up at his face, and holding his un-bandaged hand as tightly as you dared.   
  
For a while you stayed like that, memorizing the details of his face you already knew by heart in silence. And then the words came out of you like the opening of a floodgate. You talked to him about how scared you were when Mil made is sound like he was dead and how scared you were of the operation. How you never thought it would be an option, but it's a great opportunity. How you were excited you could maybe be healthy but terrified something would go wrong. How you knew the surgery was your best chance at a future, a future you couldn’t see without him in it. How you wanted him to wake up before the surgery, so you could tell him how much you love him one last time in case anything happens.   
  
“Not that it will,” you say, more to reassure yourself than him, and failing anyways. After what felt like hours of talking you finally fell asleep, still holding his hand tightly in your own.   
  
  
You woke to a gentle hand stroking your shoulder and a voice calling your name.   
  
“Tadashi?” you asked blearily as you sat up, staring desperately at his face.   
  
“No hun, it’s just me.” A voice murmured from behind you. You looked back to see the nurse watching you with a kind smile. “I’m sorry to tell you this but you really need to stay in your own bed. Hospital policy and all.” His eyes were filled with sympathy as he patted your shoulder.  
  
“I’m sorry,” you apologized, trying to seem innocent. “I must have been sleep-walking.” He gave a pointed look at Tadashi’s hand held tightly in yours and smiled as he helped you find your way back to bed.   
  
“I’ll be coming in to check on you each morning around 7:30. It would probably be best if you managed to find your way back into your bed from sleepwalking before then.” He gave you a quick wink before getting to work.   
  
After that sleeping next to Tadashi's bed became the norm, especially once your nurse brought extra blankets. (“Since those hospital beds can get chilly,” he whispered with another wink before bustling off.) Each night you would slip from your bed after the last check up, spend the night wrapped comfortably in blankets in the chair next to Tadashi, holding his hand, and be back in your own bed before first check up in the morning.   
  
By the time of your surgery he still hadn't woken up. Your nurse gave you a moment to give him a kiss before going to surgery.   
  
“Maybe it will help him wake up, like a fairytale.” He suggested softly as your lips pressed against Tadashi. But as you pulled away he remained unconscious and you were reminded of the reality you lived in.   
  
“I love you Tadashi. I’ll come back to you if you come back to me.” You whispered the promise against his lips, wishing it to be true with all your heart, before allowing yourself to be led to surgery.   
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
Tadashi’s eyes burned with the light trying to sneak under his eye lids. As he shifted around he realized every part of his body burned. The journey into consciousness was not comfortable and he groaned with the effort.   
  
“Tadashi!” Hiro’s voice called to him from somewhere in the room.   
  
“Where am I?” His mouth felt as if he had eaten sand. “What happened?” As his eyes adjusted to the room Hiro filled Tadashi in on everything that happened. When he heard what had happened to you, and that you were about to undergo major surgery he began to panic just as a nurse entered.  
  
“Mr. Hamada, so great to see you awake, how are you feeling?”  
  
“Please, I need to see (First) (Last), she was the other patient in this room. She’s about to go into surgery, I need to see her.” His voice cracked as he pled, but the nurse gave him a sad smile.   
  
“Unfortunately I cannot bring her back, but you will see her once she has recovered from her surgery, not to worry.”  
  
“No please, I need to see her.” A mixture of panic and pain from his injuries threatened to swamp him. The nurse noted this and released a flow of medicine.  
  
“Take it easy for awhile, heal up and before you know it she will be right back here.” The nurse soothed as Tadashi began to feel the drugs pull him back towards unconsciousness.   
  
“My cardigan…” His words slurred and slowed with the medicine. “Where’s my cardigan?”  
  
The nurse looked confused but Hiro stepped up to the bed told him not to worry. “I got it back, it’s in the top drawer of your bedside table.”   
  
Tadashi reached to ruffle Hiro’s hair as he slipped into sleep. “Thank you Hiro. I’m so sorry for making you and Aunt Cass worry so much about me. I’m so sorry…”   
  
  
  
*****  
  
  
  
By the time his medicine wore off Tadashi awoke to realize it was the next day and you were still in the recovery room. He stayed conscious only long enough to squeeze every last detail about your surgery (successful) and current state (stable) from the nurse before succumbing to the medicine again. Each time he woke he would brave the pain long enough to ensure you were still stable and recovering before slipping into the pain-free darkness, but no matter how much medicine the nurses seemed to give him he only managed restless sleep, as though he couldn’t settle until he saw you. Each time he woke and heard you were still in the recovery room his worry grew. It had been over a week since your surgery and that desperate worry was the last thought in his mind every time he drifted off.   
  
It was night the next time the medicine wore off and he slipped back into consciousness. His body felt like it was on fire, and he wasn’t exaggerating since he now knew what that felt like. As he reached to press the call button to summon a nurse with more medicine he realized there was a warm weight keeping his hand pressed into the mattress. He looked to find you sleeping in the chair next to his bed again, holding his hand like a lifeline. Dark circles sat under your eyes and your hair was mussed and tangled but the gentle rise and fall of the blanket draped across you proved to him you were alive and here.   
  
“(First)…”  
  
You woke instantly at the sound of your name and blinked rapidly, as if unbelieving of the sight before you but when his face split in the smile you loved so much you gasped and grinned back.   
  
“Tadashi!”   
  
“First what are you doing, you're definitely not supposed to be out of bed.”  
   
“You're awake, you're really awake. They told me you were but you were still sleeping when I came back and you didn't look any different than before…”   
  
He saw the tears in your eyes.  
  
“Of course I’m awake, I could never leave you, but why are you out of bed?”  
  
“I slept like this every night. That's why my nurse kept me in the recovery room for so long, he knew once I was back here I wouldn't be a good patient.” You chuckled softly.  
  
Tadashi released a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. “I thought there were complications and they didn't want to tell me. I’m so glad you’re alright.”   
  
You squeezed his hand. “The only bad thing is I have a scar down my chest, but I think I can live with that.” You smiled at him with tears in your eyes, but he knew they were tears of joy. “I have a brand new healthy heart.”  
   
He held your hand in his tightly. “But there's still room for me in your new heart, right?”  
   
You choked out a laugh, a few tears escaping your eyes at his cheesy humor. “Of course. You're always in my heart.”   
  
“I love you (First).”  
  
“I love you too.”   
  
And you held each other and cried silently, letting the fear and pain of the past few weeks escape with the salt water running down your faces.   
  
A bit later, after the tears dried up, Tadashi asked you to grab something for him from his bedside table. “I would do it myself but I'm still pretty sore.”  
   
You looked concerned and asked if he wanted more pain meds but he waved you off. “It's not as bad as before, I'll take some in a bit. This is more important.”   
  
You look a little puzzled but walked around the edge of his bed to the little table on the other side and opened the drawer. Tadashi followed you with his eyes as you pulled out a small green bag, shooting him a quizzical look before walking back to your chair to sit down. He just smiled and encouraged you to open it.    
  
You opened the bag slowly and seeing nothing inside, shook its contents into your hand.   
  
There lay a ring. The most perfect ring you had ever seen in your entire life. And as the cool metal sat there on the palm of your hand you felt your new heart beating against your chest, as if it already couldn't handle this much love.   
  
“Tadashi…” You finally looked up at him. He smiled and held his hand out to you, which you took without hesitation.   
  
“I wanted to do this right, with the kneeling and the flowery speeches about how much I love you and how much you mean to me, but I love you too much and you mean too much for me to not do this now, especially after all we've been through. So sorry this is a little unconventional, but I love you (First), and I was going to ask you that night before the expo but I chickened out and decided to wait until graduation. But that was before the world reminded us how fragile life can be so I'm going to ask you now.”  
   
He took a deep breath then but you were already nodding and smiling, the happy tears you thought had dried up making a quick come back in your eyes.   
  
“(First) (Last), will you marry me?”   
  
“Yes, I most definitely will marry you Tadashi.”  
   
And you shared the sweetest kiss of your life. You were laughing then, and smiling the biggest smile you could as you rained kisses on each other’s face.   
  
“Tadashi Hamada you're making my new heart work very hard already.” You teased as you felt the strong and steady pulse of your heart beneath your ribs accelerate with love for Tadashi and the excitement of the future.   
  
“Don't worry,” he smiled as he leaned in to kiss you again. **“This is just the beginning.”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! I love feedback so let me know what you thought!


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